Burial vault



R. E. SMITH BURIAL VAULT July 20, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet -l Filed Jan. 11, 1935 INVENTOR 241, f. .5/7/7/l.

BY W W ATTORNEY July 20, 1937'. R. E. SMITH 2,087,486

BUR IAL VAULT Filed Jan. 11, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 23 a a /0 v y LP 4 Q /0 7 7 F/g. 6 9

8 I I U U L l v 'INVENTOR ZAAPH EZJ/V/TH.

BY aka 2 W: Z I

ATTORNEY R. E. SMITH BURIAL VAULT July 20, 192.7.

Filed Jan. 11, 1935 r 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 miilltatlzi- ATTORNEY Patented July 20, 1937 STATES Lids Ara

BURIAL VAULT a corporation of Ohio Application January 11, 1935, Serial No. 1,351

4 Claims.

My invention relates to grave vaults and handles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a grave vault of sheet metal of great structural strength while at the same time providing beauty of appearance.

It is an object to provide a grave vault in which the cover portion provides a reinforced arch and tapered ends.

It is a further object to provide a. vault on which the handles may be mounted in such a manner as not to interfere with the continuity of the vau t structure but at the same time provide for a rigid anchoring of the escutcheon plate and 15 handle carried by the plate on the vault structure.

/ It is also an object to provide means of retaining the handle in pivotal relationship to the escutcheon plate by the single retaining means for 20 retaining the escutcheon plate to the vault.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of the complete vault;

Figure 2 is an end elevation;

5 Figure 3 is a top plan view;

figure 4 is atop plan view of the base with the cover removed;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the base with the cover removed; 30 Figure 6 is a side elevation of the base with the cover removed;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the handle escutcheon plate without thehandle;

Figure 8 is a side elevation thereof without the 35 handle;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the escutcheon plate and handle showing the attaching means 40 to the vault;

Figure 11 is a detail plan View of the handle;

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the handle. Figure 13 is an exploded view of the details of a handle pivot plate and an intermediate or at- 45 taching member showing the means of connection thereof, with the pivot plate broken away.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I designates the flange constituting a support for the skirt 2 of the vault cover 3. This flange I is provided with an upwardly-turned rim 4. Inwardly disposed and projecting upwardly from the face of the flange I are the side walls 5 and end walls 6 of the base of the vault. These side walls are provided with locking devices I which form no part of the present invention. The locking devices are actuated by the handle 8. The top of the base is designated 9 and has casket support ing ribs iii.

The vault cover comprises side walls ii that are inclined upwardly and outwardly. The side 5 walls H are joined to the top l2 by a series of annularly-disposed surfaces l3, M and it thereby constituting with the top and side walls an arch, the bottom of the arch between the side walls H being closer than the maximum lateral 10 dimension of the arch between the shoulders Hi. The faces of the side walls l l and the surfaces l2, 13, it and i5 are fiat. This construction gives great structural strength as the complete structure is formed of a single piece of metal, or 15 it may be formed of a series of pieces of metal welded together. The ends of the vault likewise provide great structural strength. The end panel l'i inclines upwardly and outwardly. It is fiat.

It is joined to the side walls and top by the following construction.

Triangular panels "3 join the. sides of the end panel I! to an intermediate, angularly-disposed plate i9. Likewise, radially-disposed panels 20,

2! and 22 connect the corners of the end panels 25 I! to corresponding plates 23, 2t and 25 which in turn connected to the plates i3, i4 and E5. The panels 22 are connected by the sloping end panel 26. A panel structure designated 2? surrounds the margin of the end wall l1 and has a plurality of radiating panel fingers 28, thus adding to the strength and appearance of the vault. The vault has outwardly and upwardly expanding sides and outwardly expanding ends joined to the top by a series of angularlydisposed flat panels.

The end walls and side walls are provided with the skirt 2 which is disposed outwardly from the side walls and end walls and is connected to them by a diagonally-disposed flange 29. The end wall may be stamped out of one piece.

Turning to the handle construction, it will be observed that an escutcheon plate 38 with a decorative panel M is provided; the escutcheon plate has a depressed groove portion 32 with a slot 33 in the base of it through which the handle pivot plates 34 are inserted. These handle pivot plates 34 have spaced side faces terminating at the top in arcuate portions 36, each having a hole 35 therein, which side faces are struck up from the transversely extending portion 34a of the handle pivot plate 34. The portion Ma terminates at the top in a straight stop member 3479. Adapted to be welded, riveted, or otherwise rigidly secured to the vault body is a plurality of U-section intermediate or attaching members Ila having a flat or web portion lld with a hole Hf therein, by

which portions the members are attached to the vault 'body. These attaching members have their side portions terminating at the top in arcuate members Hc having holes 35b therein, which are adapted to register with holes 35 in the arcuate portions 36 and receive pins, bolts or rivets, such as 35a, by which the handle pivot plates are secured to the attachingmembers Ha The .top edge llb of the web portion lid cooperates withthe stop member 34b on the handle pivot plate to limit pivotal movement thereof with regard to the attaching members I la and the vault 'body. The handle assembly comprising the intermediate or attaching members, and pivotally attached handle structures are directly supported 'on the vault body by the rigid attachment of attaching members thereto, and the escutcheon plates are" independently attached tothe vault body, and'perform merely shielding and ornamental functions, and thereforemay be of extremely-light and cheap construction. The handle portion is designated 31 and may be of any desired. character. It is shown asa pressed metal body forming a loop through which a bar 38 is'inserted; The bar is providedwith caps 39. The escutcheon plate is provided with the bolt apertures 40. The bolts projectthrou gh these Having thus fully described my invention, what a I claim as new and desire to secure byr Letter's Patent,is: "T i 1. A'vault top having a skirt, upwardly flaring end and side walls, a fiat top portion, a plurality of longitudinally-disposed, 'flat, angularly-arranged panels forming an arch connecting the side walls and top, triangular-shaped panels connecting the side edges of the end walls and the end edges of the side walls, radially-disposed panels connecting the corners of the end walls and the ends of one of the fiat panels forming the arch connecting the side walls and top, an end panel connecting the top of the endwalls and the ends of the top of the vault, and a panel construction between the margins of the. end walls and some of said panels whereby the end walls are reinforced.

2. A vault structure having an elongated body of polygonal cross section and convex end members formed of a plurality of flat plates and interconnecting marginal struck-up re-enforcing panels forming an arch of substantially inverted U form with the ends of the U-shaped re-enforcing panels disposed adjacent the lower corners of the vault. i V

3. A vault structure having an elongated body 'of polygonalfcross section and convex endf members formed of a plurality of flat plates intercon- 7' nected by a struck-up panel structure of substantial inverted U shape, said panel structure having its lower ends disposed adjacent the lower corners of the end member and having a plurality 2 of radiating fingers extending from the main body of the panel structure toward the upper corners of the end members and interengaging the edges of said flat plates adjacent said upper cornerst wardly and outwardly, a flat topconnected at each side to one of said side walls by a plurality of connected angularly disposed flat panels, and.

convex end members connected'to the ends of said 'end members each comprising an upwardly and outwardly extending end panel, a pair of t'ri-' angular-shaped panels between the side edges of each end panel and adjacent end edges of said side panels, radially disposed panel s between said angularly disposed flat panels and edges of said end panels, and a substantially arcuate panel structure having radiating finger portions, said panel structure connecting adjacent edges of the respective panels with each other and with the upwardly and outwardly extending end panel.

RALPH E. SMITH.

4. A vault top having side walls extending upsaid 'top, sides and angularly disposed flat panels; 3 

